Technological Determinism in Eighth Grade

    Technological determinism is obvious in the film shown in class titled, Eighth Grade.  This theoretical perspective can be described as the idea that technology has an important effect on our lives. It is evident in this film that the main character, Kayla, is glued to her technology and the social media that coincides with it. It is evident, however, that Kayla struggles with anxiety but aims to collect social acceptance and recognition from her peers. Kayla let technology get the best of her and sadly ruin great relationships and a great life. 

    It seems as though the film is promoting this technological determinism. Kayla would rather be staring at her phone than interact with her friends or classmates. It seems as though staring at her phone made her feel 'cool' and one of the popular kids for a while. Nancy Baym explains how social media forms these societal norms for its users. This is seen in the film because Kayla and her classmates are so obsessed with how they look on social media etc... that it has created this new 'norm' for everyone in the school to look a certain way. This causes people to act out and as Baym also puts it, cause a sense of anxiety. There is too much pressure for young children, and even young adults now, to look a certain way.  

    From personal experience, I can confidently say that I rely on technology on a daily basis. It can be as simple as setting a reminder on my phone or even just opening my phone to a social media app immediately. I feel like this 'problem' will continue to get worse. I believe this because as children get younger and younger, technology is given to them; whether it is for a distraction or in the classroom. Most children are growing up with technology and social media, and feeling the effects of it as well. 

I have included a link to a website explaining why we have become extremely reliant on technology: https://www.uopeople.edu/blog/society-too-dependent-on-technology/

Are you extremely reliant on technology as well? Do you think this has created more of a positive or negative impact on your life?


Comments

  1. AnonymousOctober 11, 2021 at 9:04 AM

    I am extremely reliant on technology. In my personal life, I have been impacted both positively and negatively. This past year I have had the privilege to work with a digital marketing company, and I have done so 100% through my computer/phone. In this context, technology has allowed me to kick-start my career. Yet, there is a negative side to this. Since I rely on my technology for both work and leisure, sometimes I find it hard to separate the two. Late at night, I might be watching a show, but check in to work because it's so easy. Because working virtual is so common, this issue is becoming more popular. Society is now reliant on technology for a variety of aspects of their life, and I propose that this issue will intensify with time.

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  2. Simone ShanksOctober 12, 2021 at 3:01 PM

    Hi Victoria,

    I would 100% say that I am reliant on technology and even more so as a result of our ongoing pandemic where we have been forced to move our entire lives online. Although convenient, I have noticed that becoming extremely reliant on technology has had a negative impact on my life. This is because I have a hard time "unplugging" and separating myself from my phone especially. Whenever I am away from technology, I always feel the urge to check my phone even if I didn't hear a notification come through 'just in case' and technology has for sure made studying and school work a lot harder as I find it more difficult to focus on things and not get distracted. I definitely was able to relate to Kayla in some parts of the film and we see how technology and social media can be dangerous and addicting since you have the world at your fingertips - you can check in and see what your friends are doing, order food, do school work or real work, pay bills, synchronously chat with others and so much more all without having to get off your couch resulting in the loss of appeal for face-to-face interactions and stepping away from our devices. So although there are many positive effects of interacting with technology and social media, I am trying to best to become less reliant on it to make sure I don't lose myself in the process.

    Happy Thanksgiving!
    - Simone

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